CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Agent Booth and Doctor Brennan opened the door to the Royal Diner and listened to the bell jingle announcing their arrival. The diner seemed to be alive and bustling, the later dinner rush seeing as it was around nine PM. Today had been a relatively easy day at trial. Just looking at the evidence and Harold didn't act up against any of the scientific witnesses. This came as a relief though Krys and Parker weren't in the courtroom. The two of them were taking a well deserved break.

After the trial Booth had managed to talk his partner into grabbing a quick bite to eat with him. He did enjoy when they sat together and just talked, even if it was usually just about work. But in light of the trial Seeley found himself seeking out these little outings with Temperance more and more. It provided a welcome break.

"Are there usually this many people?" Temperance found herself asking her partner as she stood beside him near the door.

Seeley grunted in response with a bit of a smile as his eyes fell on their usual booth and who sat there. "Look who it is."

Temperance's eyes followed in the direction where Seeley was looking to their usual spot by the window. There sat Lance Sweets in his suit, tie loosened, munching on fries as he read his usual copy of the newspaper. It was difficult to miss how content he looked, even though he was just simply sitting there. Beside his right hand that rested on the table was his black phone that he would check every few seconds as though he was texting someone.

"Come on. Lets go pay Sweets a visit." Seeley told his partner with a smile.

"He looks as though he's almost finished." Temperance noted.

"Then he won't mind if we take over the booth as he's about to leave." Seeley concluded but his partner didn't seem to want to budge. This didn't phase him however and he reached out and gave his partner a playful nudge. "Come on, Bones... He's in our spot." Another boyish smile on his part as he teased poking her with his two fingers. "Quack. Quack." He gave her a bit of a wink which caused her to finally smile in return and the two approached the diner booth.

"Hey there Sweets." Seeley greeted as he stood in front of the man as Temperance slid into the opposite cushioned seat, and he followed right after her. "Anything good?" He questioned as the young psychologist looked up, helpless to keep his two 'patients' from helping themselves to a spot.

"Just the usual grilled cheese and french fries." Lance told the agent before looking to the anthropologist with a gentle smile. "Hello Doctor Brennan."

"We wanted to see how you were doing." Temperance offered rather calmly, not much of one for formalities but she would attempt to do so anyways. She wanted to be more like Seeley when it came to her people skills, so no better place to start than right now, with a friend.

"All things considered... Alright." Lance nodded, and then for no reason at all he gave a nervous laugh and his cheeks flushed bright red as he looked down at his lap, setting the newspaper down on the left side of the table.

"Just alright?" Seeley tilted his head at the psychologist. "You look happy." Agent Booth commented knowingly with a little smile. Reaching out he snagged a few fries from Lance's plate. "Wonder why that is." His tone said it all: He knew damn well why.

"No reason." Lance blushed even further even when Agent Booth reached out and poked his side a bit roughly, causing him to look up like a small child being tickled.

"Yeah. Right. No reason." Seeley shook his head. Since the discussion with Gordon Gordon he had been a bit more 'protective' of the young man. He couldn't explain it. He had been told it was part of the whole 'duck nonsense' but he didn't want to waste time thinking on it. "You and Robin have been getting pretty serious then?"

"Yeah." Lance couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face before he saw the agent stiffen and he blinked a bit startled. "Not as serious as you think. Not that kind anyways..." He didn't know why he felt the need to tell the FBI agent this other than self preservation. Truth be told Lance had been holding back on anything sexual. First off Krys didn't seem to want to push anything sexual and was perfectly content just cuddling, and secondly there was the certain issue of explaining the scars on his back...

"It is natural for two partners to experience sexual relations." Temperance spoke up, she was now also partaking in the stealing of fries. At this comment Seeley turned his widened eyes to his partner which caused her to make a correction. "Romantic partners, that is." This seemed to settle the agent's nerves and he returned to munching.

Lance meanwhile gave a low chuckle. "That is a very object and reasonable way of looking at things Doctor Brennan." He complimented her, his eyes and voice very gentle. He knew she knew of his past so he wouldn't have to explain too much. "But sometimes things aren't as simple as that and are beyond your reasoning." Their eyes met for a moment.

After a long quiet, Temperance finally gave a nod. "I accept your logic." And she went back to nibbling on a french fry.

Lance's phone vibrated on the table and he pressed the side button, lifting the screen up he read the words in quiet.

"You know... Krys is a very understanding kid." Seeley told him quietly. Perhaps his attempt at some reassurance? He wasn't even sure himself. "If you're worried about something.. Anything... She probably would... Understand.." Seeley also knew about Lance's past. He had been filled in quite some time ago, and he knew how hard it could be.

Lance shrugged his shoulders with a bit of a sigh before he moved to his feet. "I need to get home. Movie night."

Seeley couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head. These two were a real couple now, doing something as lame as 'movie night'. Probably an endless parade of spaceships and laser guns. "You two have fun."

Lance smiled, he had to appreciate how kind these two were being. "Thanks. Goodnight Agent Booth. Doctor Brennan."

The two partners were now left alone, left with the bustling activity of the diner and the remains of Lance's food. Seeley didn't seem to mind one bit even though the seat opposite of them was empty and him and Temperance were cozily seated next to one another on the other end.

"You're behavior around Sweets has changed." Temperance noted matter of factly as if it was no big deal.

"Oh yeah?" Booth tried not to sound interested, but he was.

"Since Gordon brought up his past and since Sweets expressed interest in Krys, another individual with a troubled past, you've been going very easy on him. You're hardly taunting him, you're not trying to cause him bodily harm, and you're lecturing has decreased significantly." Temperance went on, thinking like the deductive scientist that she was. "I'm sure most would find it an admirable quality. You're very protective of the both of them."

"Do you find it admirable, Bones?" Seeley inquired, not looking at the woman.

"I do." She nodded. "It makes you human and quite admirable." Another quiet befell the two of them.

"The trial's going... Well.." Temperance attempted to make conversation, though she couldn't look at Seeley when she spoke.

"I don't think 'well' is the best way to describe it, Bones." Seeley shook his head sliding Lance's plate right over to himself. "But I agree that it hasn't been as... Eventful... Which is good." His mouth was now full and he was glad that he didn't have to speak.

"Since when do you enjoy the uneventful?" Temperance asked, genuinely curious. "You like the eventful."

"Actually, this time you're wrong Bones. I do work in the eventful... But uneventful is exactly where I like to be." The two looked to each other in quiet.

A few hours had passed after Lance Sweets arrived at his apartment. Krys was already there waiting for him outside the door with a little smile on her lips that made his heart absolutely melt. He had brought her inside where they both watched a movie ('Lord of the Rings' to be exact) and munched on snacks. It was after three hours of this perfectly content sitting around and holding that Lance found himself turning to face his girlfriend.

'I'm more of a Star Wars guy myself." He admitted with a bit of a shrug as he looked into her brown eyes.

"Yeah. But we've watched that every night for the past two weeks." He could hear her sarcastic tone but he knew that she was only teasing. "I can quote the whole trilogy by now and that's not really a skill I want to put on my resume." A smile as she rolled her eyes and her head against the nook of his shoulder, moving her legs right into his lap. He loved when she smiled.

"I love you." He found himself uttering softly. He couldn't help it, just sitting there looking at her he had to say it.

"I know." Her voice had been soft but he caught the glint in her eyes. She was teasing him. Quoting the movie they were talking about seconds before. She was quick witted and he adored that too.

Smiling softly, he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss against her lips. But this single soft kiss turned into a more passionate one until Krys was upright on her knees, her hands moving up and down his back before moving to the front and undoing the buttons. Lance meanwhile found himself lifting her shirt right over her head, which she allowed, much to his delight, breaking the kiss for only a second before reconnecting rather passionately and well out of breath. His bare fingertips trailed down her bare skin. It was warm to the touch. His eyes fluttered open for a moment. He could see her bra. Black.. He chuckled into the kiss becoming quite caught up and closed his eyes again.

He felt her hands finishing off the buttons of his shirt and he spoke up in a breathy voice. "Krys." She kept on kissing him and he found his eyes opening. "Krys." His voice had been a bit louder, but even so Krys continued kissing him (the parts of his face and neck that he'd allow) and now her hands move to the flaps of the shirt as if to remove it and that caused Lance's loudest cry when he finally panicked. "Krys!"

This caused the analyst to retract back with widened eyes, just enough time for an embarrassed Lance to scoot to the end of the couch, wrapping his arms around his bare chest as he leaned forward, holding his opened shirt close to his body.

"Lance?..." Krys' voice was soft, even nervous and he felt awful for making her feel that way but couldn't make himself look at her. "Are you..." She stopped herself before moving up on her knees, bringing her shirt to cover her stomach. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No." Lance shook his head, running his hand through his brown hair. He fell very quiet. How could he tell her? Would she run away? His brow winced in agony from pondering.

"Okay..." Krys was at a loss of what to say and suddenly she felt very cold. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had done something wrong. Defeated and at a loss of what to do she leaned back in the couch, distancing herself as she figured that's what Lance needed.

"I have.." Lance turned his head around to look at her, a frown clear on his face and his eyes wet, barely able to focus as he tried to explain. "I have scars on my back... Bad scars." Krys looked to him with wide open, giving brown eyes, but he couldn't tell at all how she was feeling or what she was thinking. He wished more than anything that he could. "My biological father he used to wh-" He stopped himself, unable to say the words and he settled on just looking back down at his lap. "You can leave if you want."

Krys fell quiet for another few moments, as if thinking on something before she carefully moved up on her knees beside him. Her arms moved to drape over his chest, gently. He could push her away if he wanted. Craning her neck she pressed a soft kiss against his lower neck before kissing his cheek.

"You're perfect." She whispered to him, giving him a bit of a hug with a squeeze of her arms as she moved to kiss the other side of his face. "You're perfect." She said again and again as Lance forced out a teary laugh, nearly choking on air before he wiped at his eyes and turned back around to face her, pulling her close as they both knelt on the couch, holding one another.

"Please stay." He choked out, his face nestling into Krys' neck. "Please don't go."